MA Art History Application

Applicants to the M.A. Art History program must submit an application to the Graduate School and satisfy both the basic graduate school requirements for admission into a master's program and the department-specific requirements. Please review the Graduate School’s minimum admissions requirements, and prepare your supporting documents before beginning your application. You will need to upload and submit all of the documents at the same time. 

For detailed information about the MA in Art History degree please review the University Catalog and the Art History Graduate Handbook.

We offer two-year funding packages to full-time incoming students that consist of a combination of Teaching Assistantships (TA), Graduate Part-Time Instructor (GPTI), fellowships, tuition remission, and stipends. Each year, we provide approximately six Teaching Assistantships, which equip students with important training in the classroom.

Funding is subject to renewal each year. Financial awards are offered to the most outstanding and eligible, new and continuing students in the MA program. Award recommendations are made by faculty. Factors considered include academic performance and potential. The Department and the University also offer modest grants to support conference travel or research trips. Please see the Graduate School Funding for more information. 

Graduate Professional Certificate in Museology

Our M.A. Program offers an outstanding opportunity to earn a Graduate Professional Certificate in Museology which students can complete concurrently with their M.A. degree. 

Offered through the Museum & Field Studies (MFS) Program, the Graduate Professional Certificate requires 12 credit hours (4 courses) of Museum & Field Studies coursework and a 75-hour museum internship. Classes in the Museum & Field Studies Program emphasize participatory learning and include: Introduction to Museum Studies; Collections Management; Museum Education; Exhibit Development; Museum Administration; and advanced seminars and practica that provide hands-on experience in the collections of the CU Art Museum and CU Museum of Natural History.

Link to more information about the Graduate Professional Certificate

Application Deadlines

  • Domestic applicants: January 15

  • International applicants: December 15

​*Applications received after the deadline and/or incomplete applications will not be reviewed.

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Helpful University of Colorado Links

Art History Faculty

If you would like to write a thesis, it is important to indicate within your application an art history faculty member with whom you would primarily like to work during your time at CU Boulder, based on your research interests. This faculty member will help mentor you and guide you through the comprehensive exams and written thesis. If you wish to pursue the course-based MA track, then you can signal this in your statement of purpose and do not need to indicate a specific faculty member with whom you would like to work.

Contact

For all general inquiries, application questions, and/or to schedule a tour, contact:

Department of Art and Art History
University of Colorado, 318 UCB
Boulder, CO 80309-0318
General email: finearts@colorado.edu 

General CU Boulder Graduate School Admission Requirements

Start Here to Explore the Graduate School Admissions Process

Bachelor's degree from an approved university or college, with a minimum 3.0 GPA and extensive background in art history

  • Statement of purpose
  • Writing sample
  • GRE & TOEFL/IELTS
    • Permanent US residents: The Department of Art and Art History will not review GRE scores in its evaluation of permanent US residents’ graduate student applications. However, if you wish to be considered for certain merit-based fellowships through the Graduate School, you must submit GRE scores with your application.
    • International students: International students applying to our graduate program must submit GRE scores and also meet the English Proficiency Requirements as outlined by the Graduate School.
  • Transcripts (including all undergraduate and graduate work)
  • Three letters of recommendation
  • Application fee

Required MA Art History Application Materials

Describe your goals in pursuing an M.A. in art history in our graduate program, and explain any prior work, experience, or studies that will aid you in our program. Be sure to specify which art history faculty member you would like to primarily work with during the course of your studies. We also encourage you to state if you are interested in a TA or GA appointment (see below), i.e. if you have specific interests in teaching, museum work, or work in the Visual Resources Center.

This is usually a paper that you have written for an undergraduate art history class. It should be written in English and demonstrate your critical thinking/writing and research abilities.

For review and decision purposes you are required to upload an unofficial copy of your transcript(s) in the online application. We require one copy of the scanned transcript from each undergraduate and graduate institution that you attended. This includes community colleges, summer sessions, and extension programs. While credits from one institution may appear on the transcript of a second institution, unofficial transcripts must be submitted from each institution, regardless of the length of attendance, and whether or not courses were completed. Failure to list and submit transcripts from all institutions previously attended is considered to be a violation of academic ethics and may result in the cancellation of your admission or dismissal from the university. ONLY after you are recommended for admission will you need to provide official transcripts.

Three letters of recommendation are required. During the application process, you will be asked to provide the name and email address for your recommenders, who will be asked to upload their letter directly to the graduate school’s application system.

A $60.00 non-refundable application fee ($80 for international applicants) must accompany each application for CU-Boulder graduate degree programs. The fee must be paid online with a credit card, in order to complete the application.

We accept up to 9 applicable graduate-level credit hours from other universities and colleges, if such credits have not been used for any other degrees. If you have such unused, applicable graduate-level credits, you will be able, usually in the second semester of your studies, to submit a transfer of credit form, attaching official transcripts from other institutions. The form and transcripts will then be reviewed by your academic advisor, departmental Curriculum Committee, and the Graduate School.

The department’s own resources include fellowships and teaching and non-teaching part-time positions:

We offer full funding to our MA students, for the full two-year program.

Graduate Assistant (GA) and Teaching Assistants (TA)

  • TAs teach 3 recitation sections of “Global Art and Visual Culture” and “U.S. Art Across Cultures,” large introductory art history courses
  • GAs provide assistance in the department (e.g. the Visual Resources Center)

Each of these types of appointments comes with a salary, 5 (GA) or 9+ (TA) credit hours of tuition remission per semester, and 80% health insurance premium through CU Boulder. There is no separate application form for departmental support, but applicants are encouraged to express their interest in GA or TA appointments in their statement of purpose accompanying the application. Decisions regarding departmental support are made at the time of admission. Non-departmental financial aid at CU Boulder is handled through the Office of Financial Aid.

Advisors in the Department of Art and Art History are responsible for supervising and approving a student’s curriculum while in the program. It is vital for students to communicate proactively with their advisor throughout their time at CU. It is strongly encouraged prior to each registration period that students visit with the Director of Graduate Studies in art history to discuss their upcoming course load.

Questions about requirements may be addressed to the Director of Graduate Studies in art history, the student’s faculty advisor, or the graduate program coordinator.

Registration: You can enroll in classes through MyCUInfo and by using the class search tool during your assigned enrollment appointment. You will be notified by email of your enrollment appointment. See the Academic Calendar for specific dates and deadlines.

Viewing Your Enrollment Period: Click Your Enrollment Dates in MyCUInfo. The Enrollment Appointments table lists your appointment begin time, appointment end time, and the maximum number of units in which you may enroll. Students who do not register by the third Friday in the fall or spring semester are assessed a $100 late- registration fee.

Adding and Dropping Courses After Registration: Students may add and/or drop courses through MyCUInfo, without penalty, during the drop/add period (i.e., at the beginning of each semester). Students will not be charged tuition for courses dropped during this time, and dropped courses do not appear on their transcript. After the last day to add a class in MyCUInfo, all added classes require the instructor’s signature on a Special Action Form (available at the instructor’s home department). Instructors usually only approve an added course for students who have been attending regularly in a class with space available.

Leaves of Absence: Students are allowed four years to complete the two-year degree program. Students who must interrupt studies for a compelling reason—i.e., a medical condition—may be granted a leave of absence. Please see further information on leaves of absence. If you are already an employee of the University of Colorado, you may be eligible for the Employee Tuition Benefit.